◆ SpookStack

A yom 4 a ery Hoe a. ecling shared bye gnany, of ne (Burgess was anti- American in a precious mane ner. His old friends included the writers Curis topher Isherwood, W, H. Auden and, Stephen * F Spender, All of them at one time were detached 2 from the world and atteched to only thelr own * ; thoughts and pureults of the moment... They . R '-theught only in. terms of themselves and wuffered : : the lack of, understanding the world supposedly § «had for them, * . 4 -- > Auden, who lives In the southern Italian island: “2 £ of Ischia, went to achool with MacLean and was~ + an intimate friend of Burgess. He has said flatly. 4 . about Burgess; “While he was at the Embassy in" Washington, he was STILL pro-Communist.” ra . The word “stil” in Auden's remark derives -, from pre-war days when apparently all of the»: litle coterla dabbled in Communist theory and; _ interests because they believed it to be _Saring a . and not out of any conviction, . i | an * : “Burgess,” & conservative former schoolmate ° ‘ “of his told me gtoomily, “lapped. up the attention °~ -the Commies used to pour on him, He'd Preen -: ’ Tike a cat” MacLean brooded so much about the inéquities ve ‘ of preseni-day British diplomacy because of ©: .. American leadership that he blew off steam. In as ' wnany curlons ways. In Catro he wrecked the apartment of an Anierican Embassy girl. That, -. _of course, got him right out of Egypt. When he 2 p Tecovered from a nervous condliion that followed, i he took. charge of the Foreign Otfice’s American ~ desk, ~ In that capacity he had an opportunity to keep * ", 2 abreast. of developments on the political side of , the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Formerly ‘he handled in Washington political questions . he assoclated with atomic energy matters. discussed . by the U. S., Britain and Canada. . . The reluctance of the British government tof a . discuss the background of the men led te some” fantastic situations at the outset of the search. -f “The British police refused to provide the French“, wih basic facts about the diplomats although ~ ae they asked the French to spare nothing in the e _ Search, Only at American insistence did _the © aoe and “" “. "9°. "French continue. x " eatie-aght of these concerns, something. more: Too much is being omitted in London. on ‘pubtie 7 _' should be reviewed about the two diplomats. For’ _ review of the facts in the case, . There's loo great ©: example, how did men like MacLean and Burgess. an inclination to camouflage the background and «<i bring suspicion on themselves before they left“. Information obtained so far because It’s supposed “ aie eae es : Britain so precipitously? Shortly before they fled. to be “not In the public welfare” to talk about the: 3 . "they were actually Instructed not to See OF talk disappesrances for the record. - S _ to each other:after business hours. © ~ - . Nevertheless, the case‘ls belng discussed quite” 3 ‘J Both were known to their friends: as” “antic” frankly in the semi-privacy’of offices la govern ~ - American.”| In MacLaren’s ‘case the. complex’ ment’ bulldings and in, the House of ‘Commons 3 -sems to have stemmed from frustration, He felt 2 members’ rooms... °°" A gets “a <# that British diplomacy was tied to what he COR Es If the “public welfare ‘is’ actually’ being ‘con. ees i. sidered fumbling, inept American political strategy: sidered, then. all the’ facts should be “made avail- p abroad. He also possessed: an a Satellectual, dislike% ables the. Sooner. othe’ Detter, us PARTE Mgt oe ahr atic sya a